Acoustic resonators can be used to implement signal processing functions in various electronic applications. For example, some cellular phones and other communication devices use acoustic resonators to implement frequency filters for transmitted and/or received signals. Several different types of acoustic resonators can be used according to different applications, with examples including bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators such as thin film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs), stacked bulk acoustic resonators (SBARs), double bulk acoustic resonators (DBARs), contour mode resonators (CMRs), and solidly mounted resonators (SMRs). An FBAR, for example, includes a piezoelectric layer between a bottom (first) electrode and a top (second) electrode over a cavity. BAW resonators may be used in a wide variety of electronic applications and devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic gaming devices, laptop computers and other portable communications devices. For example, FBARs operating at frequencies close to their fundamental resonance frequencies may be used as a key component of radio frequency (RF) filters and duplexers in mobile devices, including ladder filters, for example. Other types of filters formed of acoustic resonators include laterally coupled resonator filters (LCRFs) and coupled resonator filters (CRFs), for example.
An acoustic resonator typically comprises a layer of piezoelectric material applied to a top surface of a bottom electrode, and a top plate electrode applied to a top surface of the piezoelectric material, resulting in a structure referred to as an acoustic stack. Where an input electrical signal is applied between the electrodes, reciprocal or inverse piezoelectric effect causes the acoustic stack to mechanically expand or contract depending on the polarization of the piezoelectric material. As the input electrical signal varies over time, expansion and contraction of the acoustic stack produces acoustic waves that propagate through the acoustic resonator in various directions and are converted into an output electrical signal by the piezoelectric effect. Some of the acoustic waves achieve resonance across the acoustic stack, with the resonant frequency being determined by factors such as the materials, dimensions, and operating conditions of the acoustic stack. These and other mechanical characteristics of the acoustic resonator determine its frequency response.
With respect to LCRFs, in particular, they each typically include a ground plane, a piezoelectric layer and a set of interdigitated top comb electrodes having interlaced comb-like fingers. Generally, an electrical signal is applied to one of the top comb electrodes of an LCRF, which excites Mason (or piston) mode under that electrode. Generally, Mason mode undergoes scattering at the electrode edges and produces spurious modes in the fingers and corresponding gaps between the fingers. The spurious modes in the gaps propagate to the fingers of the other top comb electrode, exciting motion. Voltage is generated by the excited motion, which is picked up as a transmitted signal.
There a number of advantages to using an LCRF over other types of acoustic resonator filters, such as ladder filters formed of series and shunt resonators (e.g., FBARs) interconnected in a ladder-type structure. For example, the process of fabricating an LCRF is relatively simple, in that conventionally it essentially involves only top electrode patterning. Also, there may be no need for mass-loading of various ones of the series and shunt resonators, and there may be a reduction in physical space required for the filter. However, LCRFs are generally difficult to design with regard to specific pass-bands. In comparison, a typical ladder filter requires only one-dimensional Mason model simulations, whereas an LCRF requires two-dimension or even three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) model simulations. Also, spurious pass-bands may be present in various spectral regions. The embodiments described herein address these and other issues.